On the Education in America

Commentary Comments (1)

Upon the subject of education,[…] I can only say that I view it as the most important subject which we as a people can be engaged in.”  Abraham Lincoln

The department of education has been under assault for a while. The arguments to keep it or get rid of it are beyond valid at this point, they just are what they have come to be; arguments. The voucher/not voucher system is complicated itself, one of the complications being what exactly is a voucher. Is it Vouchers (grants so parents can afford to send their children to private school), Tax tuition credits (just what it sounds like) And so on?

Thorny as this issue is, lets step outside of it and view what’s wrong with the debate. As economists are starting to find out, as people get richer, their choices become more illogical. To most economists, steeped in the tradition of the classics, the difference between the functional application of a KIA and a Bentley is meaningless. Both have 4 wheels and move forward and backwards at the drivers choosing. Irrational choice comes in paying $300,000 for a Bentley and $10,000 for a KIA (maybe even less). This was all based on the perfect model [People make rational choices and have perfect knowledge]. We all know this to be untrue of course. The Bentley price is an artificial cap meant to exclude those who cannot afford and can only dream of it. This cap is prevalent in Law schools, Med schools, CEO pay and Prada handbags. Some weeding out mechanics is the price of living on the planet in the country we live in. But suppose we can use that need to make irrational choices and focus it in our favor?

Hold that thought for a moment; irrationally paying for choice. Let’s tackle one angle of the voucher problem. If the government starts to give the money it used to collect for the Board of education as vouchers, with an increasing population, this donated monetary amount will only get larger, causing a greater burden. Soon there will be calls to actually not accept money for education becase the price is too high. What comes next is fordained…, soon those giving alot wonder why they have to give what they do not benefit from -as if a better society isn’t benefit enough. But that is not america. America does not work towards the better meant of each other american, no, the american dream states that each individual can make his own way, if he wants to. No american should be faced with paying for someone elses way if they don’t want to. Applying the American dream to schools gives us a nasty truth.

If the money is given to parents to decide, by simple supply and demand, private schools will raise their prices both to compete for better teachers and to create/increase an artificial cap between the haves and the have-nots. But prices will also rise to attract “old” money and those who can afford the cap. Also, why charge $20,000 a year when you can charge $40,000. The justification for the higher price is there of course; one can hire (presumably) the best teachers; have the best facilities and the best programs. The trap is obvious, the entire process quickly becomes discrimination by classism and with the ever growing gap of wealth, a revolution will be at hand. Remember, it is the poor and the undereducated that start the revolution.

What actually works?

State colleges have been struggling, but many people will admit most state colleges are quite good. The system, (low cost for instate students, high for out of state students) can be a prohibitive factor for some but can be defeated with a move a year or two before your child is of college age, -if one thinks that far ahead-

Many State colleges also offer premium services for higher education MBA, PHd tracks, as well as achievement scholarships, which are just as popular as “every day services.” What they offer in these services is not a better caliber of teacher (premium and non premium get generally same teacher level) but greater collaboration, mentorship and interaction for those who want it. Instead of being one amung 100 a premium service student can be 1 amung 30. Instead of the rigid, core, mandates of organized schooling, there is more flexibility to meet ones requirements, and different paths to finish a degree with a guided hand, instead of the counselor that often times knows less about your degree program than you do.

Furthermore, Tuition Assistance Programs in most states would pay for a good deal of State Programs, but would be bare pittance in tutition in most private colleges. But private colleges are also stepping up to help. Private collages, at first focused on fund raising and large donors, are finally using their large endowments to attract worthy lower privileged students and also giving them the support they need for the respective culture shock these students enter.

Choice is what is being paid for. Not vouchers or greater assistance, but choice. And that is as american as it gets. Anyone who’s ever been to school in America will tell you, they would have given an arm or a leg not to have taken a certain regimented class or would have paid a little more to have another option to their degree. There are also those who don’t mind, who don’t see the value of paying more for the “same piece of paper” and can move thru the system as intended.

Next, make money second. Rare is the accredited collage that wants a student to pay before the same student gets past their rigid academic requirements.

Two of the three private colleges I applied for had a program that picked up potential students, and directly mentored them up to the level necessary to be at the minimum acceptable academic level to attend said private college. Like everyone else, students in these “helper” programs had to pay the same tuition and go to the same classes after those helper programs were over. Yet, those helper programs, provided free, were of extreme benefit. But they were also only readily available after you were identified as a viable canidate for the college. Again, potential future donations, and ability to pay were second.

Paying for Choice within the system seems to be a better alternative to the endless debate of weather the DEPT of ED needs to exist. A base minimum of Federal goals, (i.e reading at a 5^th grade level, math and science and geography of a certain level to graduate high school)is surely needed, then the states should be allowed to do what they have done; provide every child access to their education systems and as always, allow them to pay a premium for that system if they want to, without changing base standards: the same level of courses, the same type and amount, and the same number of credits needed to be fulfilled. Slowly the schools are learning ways to help the education system and ignore the Washington talking heads. We should study what these many schools are doing and give them a helping hand. It breaks down simply:Go to a schol in your district, you have this much. Go to one in another, it cost this much more, but that’s for everyone outside of the district. If you can’t move and can’t afford it, then perhaps their are assistance programs provided you meet the academic requirement of the school.

It’s time to move past whether the Dept of Education needs to exist. It does need to exist if one cares even the little bit about america or it’s future, but give the power back to the parents, by putting the power of choice in their hands. People will pay a premium for the same service if added service is worth it to them; it works for doctors, it works for cars, and it will work for schools.

OceansOfThought @ April 1, 2008